Pater Patriae
by ChaosOrdo-FFL
Summary: Anguius finds a promising investment.


Just a small oneshot that didn't make it into the main story.

Pater Patriae (plural Patres Patriae), also seen as Parens Patriae, is a Latin honorific meaning "Father of the Country", or more literally, "Father of the Fatherland".

Stirps- A branch of a family.

Bellatrix- Adjective; combative, warlike, valorous. Noun; Warrioress.

Lictor- The lictor (possibly from Latin: ligare, "to bind") was a member of a special class of Roman civil servant, with special tasks of attending and guarding magistrates of the Roman Republic and Empire who held imperium, the right and power to command; essentially, a bodyguard.

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Anguius breathed in the fresh summer air and surveyed the vast grasslands of within Nova Roma's outer walls. His mother had forced him to take her for a chariot ride to escape from the isolation of the Palatium; he would've preferred to stay within it's walls. He was not a very social person unless extremely necessary.

"Marce."

He gave her the majority of his attention; he knew that whenever she referred to him by his praenomen that he needed to listen to whatever she had to say.

"The Senators are growing restless. You are three years into your reign, but still have not taken a wife."

Anguius clenched his teeth and resisted the urge to bare them. This old conversation again.

"I have no desire for a spouse."

"But the Empire has desire for an heir."

He stubbornly refused to look at her, beyond safety reasons.

"You are growing older by the day; you cannot presume that even you would be exempt from this."

Whatever sharp return Anguius was about to give was interrupted by a loud shriek. All eyes snapped to the source of the sound and found a group of young boys huddled together nearby.

Anguius signalled the guards and brought the chariot to a stop. He shouted at the boys and wasn't surprised to see them run off after they glanced up to see who was hailing them. Left behind was a small figure curled into a ball.

When Anguius glanced at his mother, she merely gestured for him to go.

He stepped down from the chariot and with half of the guards surrounding him, walked the small distance to the figure he could now identify as a young girl.

Dark, heavy lidded eyes gazed at him as he came to a stop and crouched down in front of the child. Anguius repressed a smile; he recognised these features.

He spoke in a calm, soothing voice; "Hello. What is your name, child?"

She spoke in a small, shaky voice; "M-Marca Aquilla Noxiosia, mi Dominus."

He began to pluck blades of grass from her thick, black hair. "And your father's name?"

Her voice came out more steady this time; "Cygnus Nigrus Noxiosius Timidius." She said the name with obvious pride.

Anguius hummed. So this was his old deputy's eldest. "Tell me, Marca, why did those boys attack you?"

She averted her eyes. "They think that I shouldn't enter the Agoge because I'm a girl."

Anguius frowned. Disregarding females as being good for nothing more than bearing children and caring for hearth and home was severely discouraged within the empire, but obviously there were still hard headed fools around to pass their prejudice on to the next generation.

"What did you do when they made their sentiments known?"

She looked him in the eyes once more, a questioning look on her pretty face.

He elaborated; "When they told you that think you shouldn't enter the agoge because you are a girl, what did you do about it? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't take kindly to such an insult. I happen to know many capable female warriors and the fact that they are female means nothing to me."

Marca gazed up at him with a pleased and admiring expression.

"So, what did you do? You cannot tell me that a member of the stirps Noxiosia would stand to be insulted in such a way?"

She blushed prettily; she was obviously going to be quite the beauty. "I pushed one of them to the ground."

He raised a brow. "That's all?"

Her face got even redder, but she also wore a malicious little grin. "I also scratched his face before and stamped on his genitals afterwards."

Anguius had to repress another smile. The girl certainly lived up to her name.

"Have they done this before?"

She nodded. "Yes, but never has it been this rough."

He hummed and gave her another look over. Her once neat hair was in disarray, her delicate pale skin was covered in bruises, and her pretty bright purple tunic was filthy.

"Does your father know about these...bold statements of opinion?"

"No, mi Dominus."

He tilted his head in curiosity. "Do you not wish him to know?"

"No, mi Dominus."

He observed her in silence for a moment or two, watching as she valiantly tried not to fidget under his gaze. When he finally spoke, it was in a soft, gentle voice.

"Do you know what you did wrong?"

She looked confused now. He gave her a look that he hoped conveyed reassurance.

"You didn't run. It was admirable the way you stood up for yourself, but not wise. You were outnumbered and outmatched."

He gripped a pale hand and brought it to nearer to his face, making a show of examining the delicate appendage.

"Your strength does not lie in brute force, but in speed, agility, and cleverness. You must learn how to pick your battles; when to fight, when to back down, and when to run."

She seemed intensely focused on his words, dark eyes flashing as she took in his lesson. She must've made a fine student.

He gave her a wide grin, showing off sharp teeth. "With enough training, I'm sure that you will make a fine Bellatrix some day, Noxiosia."

She grinned back at him, baring her own blunt teeth, visibly pleased by his words. So cute. Like a little lion cub. "Thank you, Imperator."

Acting on a whim, he released her small hand and went to his waist. He unbuckled one of his belts, this one made of a dark snakeskin upon which a sheathed dagger was attached, and held it out to her.

The child stared with wide eyes at the offering, mouth forming a little "o", awestruck as she was.

He unsheathed the dagger, tilting it this way and that, caressing the intricate silver snake head hilt. "This, Noxiosia, is yours. Any adult who sees you with this will know who you are, and how much you mean to me. Anyone who doesn't, enter the agoge. Train. Become stronger. Faster. Cleverer. Make them know."

He sheathed the dagger and pressed the belt into her hands. Small hands clutched the warm leather tightly and he could see into the future; when she grew older and was a seasoned Bellatrix. Pale, lightly calloused hands squeezing the life out of a prisoner's neck; covered in blood maybe? So much potential.

A soft, breathy voice broke through his thoughts. "My thanks, mi Dominus."

He gave her another smile and put his hand on her head, petting her thick locks. "Use it well, Bellatrix. Just make sure not to cut yourself with it and not to use it against your comrades. Until you're in the agoge. ...Or they need to be put in their place." He gave her a small smirk.

She giggled at his words and gave him a malicious little smirk of her own. "I am not a Bellatrix yet, Imperator! I must first succeed in the agoge."

"Oh, you will, Bellatrix. You will. And why should I not call you 'Bellatrix'? Such valour already; how can I call you anything but?"

That brought forth another blush, but an even bigger grin.

"Show my gift to your father, I'm sure he'll teach you how to use it properly. If not, come to me, I will find you a proper teacher."

"Thank you, Imperator."

"And if those boys try to harm you again, you may come to me for help. I will deal with them."

The girl shivered at the malicious intent she heard in his voice.

"Thank you, mi Dominus. You are most kind."

He pressed lightly on her head once more before making to stand, but another glance at her tunic gave him pause. He tilted his head again and frowned.

"Such a pretty outfit. A shame."

His hand went to his waist once more. He untied a leather coin purse and after opening it, tipped it over, making a small handful of coins fall into his palm.

Those dark eyes were wide once again as he took a hand nearly as pale as his own and placed the coins into it.

"Buy yourself another tunic. As well as anything else you may desire."

The child clutched the coins close to her chest and gazed up at him with admiration. "Th-Thank you, mi Dominus!"

He smiled at her and finally stood, turning her and pushing her gently away. "Excellent. Now, go to your Lictor, I'm sure he must be missing you."

She turned in his hands and gave a deep bow. "Yes, Imperator! Goodbye, Imperator!"

He turned her and shooed her once more. She began running, but after a few feet turned back to wave at him. He couldn't help but give a small wave back.

He waited until she was far enough away before turning and returning to his mother.

He had barely stepped foot in the chariot when his mother spoke.

"Who was she?"

He whipped the horses back into moving before answering her question. "Noxiosius' eldest."

He saw her nod in his periphery. "Ah, that one. I've heard that there was never one who lived up to the name more. She is fine then?"

He hummed in affirmative. His mind was already on the spies he would set to keep an eye on her. He would go to Cygnus and secure her as his apprentice for when the time came.

"You two looked so cute together. Should I be sending gifts to Cygnus Noxiosius then? Secure her hand?"

Anguius turned his head to give her a dark glare. She merely covered her mouth to hide her grin.

"Calm, my son! I am only teasing!"

He ignored her and spurred the horses on further.

Noxiosia/Noxiosius- VICIOUS


End file.
